LBTTBR OF LORD PALMERSTON TO LORD JOHN RUSSBLL

Extract from *'Life of Henry John Temple, viscount Palmerston** 1846-1865.

by the Hon. Evelyn Ashiey.

74, Piccadily, 8 december 1861.

My dear Russell,

The proposai of a frencb, english and austrian commission to enquire inlothe praciicabiliiy of the Suez canal sounds fair and plausible, but would be a dangerous measure.

There are three aspects under which this scheme may be looked at. First, as to the commercial advantage of it, if compleled ; secondly, as to the engineenugand finaacial practicability of executÎDg; thirdly, as to the political efTect of the canal, if completed.

Now, we cannot deny that if no objection could be urged against the scheme on the second and third heads, no valid objection could be made to it on the first. Looking at the matler purely with référence to the commerce of Europe, any gredt work, which would shortcn considerably the voyage to India would be advantageous to ail nations trading by sea to Asia. Even on this ground, however, there is something to be said against the scheme because it was demonstrated by a Dutch engineer that owing to difficulties of navigating the Red sea, in conséquence of coral reefs,prevailing winds, and intense beat, the navigation round the cape would, except with regard to very powerful steamers, be cheaper and shorter than through the canal.

But the second point hardly admits of a doubt. The Lesseps Company bave now been ostensibly at work for nearly ten years at a canal that is to be a hundrei feet wide and thirty feet deep from sea to sea, with ports for sea going vesselson the Medi-

terranean and Red sea ends, and yet up to this moment, though s, very large part of their nominal capital bas been spent, not one single spadefui has been turned up for the construction of tbe canal. Lesseps has begun what he calls his rigole^ a boat canal Iwelve feei wide and four feet deep, of which one third beginning from the north end has been.finished ; a second third may be completed on the next spring or early summer and the remaining third would be more easily finished by letting the water of the Red sea into a sait marsh some way to the north of Suez. Lesseps is eager about this, because he thinks his shares would rise in the market at Paris if he could show that he had actually floated a boat from sea to sea. But he will not tell his shareholders what is nevertheless the fact, that this boat canal or "rigole" is not to form any part whatever of the sliip canal ; the ship canal is to be dug in a line parai lel to this boat canal, and the boat canal ^s only to be used like a railway, for the easier conveyance of workmen, provisions and materials as the great work goes on. 1 understand that there is scarcely one among the french engineers employed who would not, if he told the truth, ac^ knowledge that the ship canal could not be made without an amount of money and a period of time far exceeding ail the calculations hitherto made and ihal if completed, it never could be made to pay intcrests on the cost incurred. It may safely be said therefore, that as a commercial underlaking il is a bubble scheme which has been taken up on political grouods and in antagonism to english interest and english policy.

Well then, we come to the last point, namely the political objects of the enterprise, and thèse are hostility to England in every possible modification of the scheme.

It requires only a glance at the map of the world to see how great would be the naval and military advanlage to France in a war wilh England to bave such a short eut to the lodian seas, while we should be obliged to send ships and troops round the Cape. Thouvenel proposes, indeed, that the passage of men of war should be forbidden as at the Dardanelles, but I présume he does not expect us to receive such a

proposai exeept with a deceotlj sappressed smile. Of course the first week of a war between Franee aod Eogland, would see 13 or 20,000 FreDchmen in possession of the canal, to keep it open for them and shat for us. But then, moreover, so stroDg a military barrier between Syria and Ëg^t would greatly add to the means of the Pasha for the time being to déclare himself independent of Turkey, which would mean his being a dépendent of France; and lastly if the canal shonld ever be made, the french company are to hâve a large grant of land in the centre of Egypt and would establish in Egypt a colony whose complaintsagaintstheEgyptian government, well or ill founded, would give the french governnement prelences for interferiog in ail the internai affairs of the country.

I should say, therefore, on the whole, that ît would be best for the french and english govemments to baye this scheme as a commercial and engineering question to be set ed by the resuit of expérience and the money markets of Europe; and that, as regards the political question, ail we ask of the french government is not to interfère in the matter, but to let ail questions between the Sublime Porte and the Pasha be settled according to the mutual rights and reciprocal obligations of Ihose two parties.

Yours sincerely.

Palmeaston.

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